Forget the blender, reach for a toothbrush instead. Sardines are better than protein shakes after workouts.
Today, as part of my 5×5 workout, I performed squats, deadlifts and overhead shoulder presses. I traveled to and from the gym on a red skateboard along Pacific Coast Highway. Ostensibly, I’m a grownup. Just like the teenager I’m behaving like, I needed to replenish my body when I returned home. Most folks in the weight training world opt for some chocolate flavored powder. “It’s easy and quick, and packed with protein,” I hear them cry. Possibly, but our bodies are tuned to run on food, not dehydrated, extracted, and processed “nutrients.” I peeled open a can of sardines, shook some organic jalapeño hot sauce on them and went to town.
It’s pretty widely understood that our bodies need amino acids to build muscle. Proteins form the foundation of muscles and connective tissues, antibodies that keep our immune system powerful and deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout our systems.They have other critical functions as well. From completenutrition.com:
Amino acids aren’t just useful for muscle development and immune strength — they may also be key players in the development of your central nervous system. According to Dr. John W. McDonald of the Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurology, amino acids may “exert trophic influences affecting neuronal survival, growth and differentiation during restricted developmental periods.”
Conveniently, sardines are an exceptional source of protein, which our bodies break down into amino acids. A 1 ounce serving of sardines (around 2-3 small pieces) provides roughly 7 grams of protein. This is comparable to a similar sized serving of steak. A can of sardines is shelf stable, easily transportable and can be eaten quickly.
Brace yourself if you’ve never dug into a can before, sardines taste like fish. I don’t necessarily eat them for the flavor, although I don’t mind them at all. Here are some serving ideas, courtesy of whfoods.com:
A Few Quick Serving Ideas
- Sprinkle sardines with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil
- Combine sardines with chopped onion, olives, or fennel.
- Top sardines with chopped tomatoes and basil, oregano, or rosemary.
- Balsamic vinegar gives sardines a nice zing.
- Make a sauce with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, pressed garlic, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Serve over sardines
It’s nice to know we have variety. You read a few days ago that I’m not eating grains or processed sugars at the moment. I can cut those foods out with such confidence in part because I have so many protein, fruit and veggie choices.
With sardines, I get value at the margins. They will never be my favorite food, but I want them on my team.
Kap
I have no problem with downing a can of sardines, but never in the office and never with company. HAHA! Good advice to keep the toothbrush around.
I also have to recommend if you like mustard… I enjoy them with a fine mustard and crackers… I know crackers don’t fit into your diet plan right now, but a thought for if you incorporate grains in again.
Nice post Kap!
Love the mustard call, BM. Strong flavor to offset the power of the slippery suckers. Always appreciate you stopping by.
Also not bad with Cholula Hotsauce!!! Love some smoked kippered snacks even better!
Dig, Ryan.
Love me some sardines. Make sure to check ingredients. A lot of sardines are packed in soybean oil, get yours in olive oil or in water (as pictured) if possible.
Bryan provides value at the margins. Thank you, brother.
Kap, congrats on your new position with the Dodgers!
And I’ve never been much of a fish guy, but I may give sardines a shot with the recipes you suggested.
You’ll be glad you took a step in an uncomfortable direction, Matt. Confidence builder.
So that “rumor” a week ago was true? Congrats,Gabe!
Does that mean no more work on TV?
Correct, Paul. My sole focus (along with this blog) is the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Another good reason to eat sardines: They’re toward the bottom of the marine food chain, which means they don’t have a lot of methylmercury and their populations are less vulnerable to overfishing. Furthermore, a lot of “forage fish” such as sardines, anchovies, menhaden, etc. are ground up into fish meal to make food for livestock, mostly chicken and pigs. It takes a lot of fish meal to produce a pound of, say, chicken, which means getting your 7 grams of protein directly from the fish itself is much more efficient in terms of resource use than getting 7 grams of protein from chicken that was raised on fish meal (probably in terrible living conditions). I wrote a bit about this a few years ago, in the context of raising our kids to be forage fish eaters. http://playgrounddad.com/raising-a-piscivore/, if you’re interested.
Dan is today’s “boo-ya” (that’s a compliment).
Kap, I love ya man! You are the modern day Jeff Specoli of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, minus the weed & alcohol but add the sardines and 4.5% body fat!!
My man. Thanks, Richie.
My man, I love and look forward to this blog each day… I am just not sure that I can hammer the sardine. I am going to plug my nose and try, but I just don’t know.
Thanks for the tips as always.
Read you mañana.
Do you, brother. If sardines aren’t your bag, you’ll find something else that fits. Thanks as always.
My father loved Sardines! He would tell me how good they were but I could not understand as I have never eaten sardines. I am highly allergic to fish.
-Thanks for the info
Kelebek
Thanks for filling us in, Kelebek.
KAP if you find yourself in Monterey, an old restaurant called “The Sardine Factory” has fresh-grilled sardines as an appetizer. Delicious. Pretty sure there are some L.A. joints that serve these also.
Better than pancakes and beer (far better).
Noted, Chester. Thanks.
My standard lunch: Sardines, a granny apple and a banana. Easy, reasonably inexpensive and sufficiently nutritious.
That’s a pretty strong play, Ed. Thank you.
Gabe, I love your blog, I read it every day. Would love if you could post an entire day of eating to see how an elite athlete eats! Thanks!
3 to 4 times a week after rock climbing…. I had a strong feeling it was a good choice
Love using Sardines! Doing a strength training program right now we’re a lot of the participants are touting a certain brand of protein shake all the time. This girl is not washing a blender or drinking gritty shaken stuff that cost $130/month. I will stick to sardines. I too enjoy dousing them in hot sauce. Today I ate them on a bed of cabbage and kale, with jalapeños on top!